What to talk to high school health students about?

[SB100]

This is sort of related to another thread, but talking about general health. My sister volunteered me to present to her health class so that she could get out of doing a project (aren't I such a nice brother?) and didn't tell me what I should talk about. Obviously not all these students will be going into college as pre-meds, nor are many of them interested in health careers. Any thoughts?

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[Dissected]

This is sort of related to another thread, but talking about general health. My sister volunteered me to present to her health class so that she could get out of doing a project (aren't I such a nice brother?) and didn't tell me what I should talk about. Obviously not all these students will be going into college as pre-meds, nor are many of them interested in health careers. Any thoughts?

going to college period.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

STDs?

 

[Bacchus]

STDs?

I was going to say this. Even if Chubs isn't serious cool I'm still going to say it.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I was going to say this. Even if Chubs isn't serious cool I'm still going to say it.

I am always serious....Let them know sex is great if is practiced safely.

 

[LossForWords]

I am always serious....Let them know sex is great if is practiced safely.

Try to find some slides of the more graphic STDs.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Try to find some slides of the more graphic STDs.

QFT!!...I will take some pictures for you....(I made lots of mistakes as a child and wish I had a big brother tell me about safe sex)

 

[LizzyM]

Talk about one of the most prominent causes of morbidity and mortality of teens and young adults: vehicle crashes and get their ideas for prevention (seatbelts & speed limits are two that should come up)

Talk about one of the most dangerous health habits ever and one that most people begin in adolescence if at all: smoking and the use of other tobacco products

Talk about the epidemic of obesity in America and the lifestyle that promotes it (good example: drive through fast food-- too lazy to walk a few feet to buy a greasy, salty snack with a beverage loaded with simple carbohydrates).


I'd steer clear of sex and alcohol because there are some parents, teachers and administrators who might get bent out of shape about how those issues are presented in school.

 

[Dissected]

QFT!!...I will take some pictures for you....(I made lots of mistakes as a child and wish I had a big brother tell me about safe sex)

TMI!



to add to the post above -- driving intoxicated, while not everyone agrees about alcohol, i think everyone agrees that this is not a healthy lifestyle.. to say the least!

 

[mmmcdowe]

You could talk about obesity related problems

 

[LizzyM]

TMI!



to add to the post above -- driving intoxicated, while not everyone agrees about alcohol, i think everyone agrees that this is not a healthy lifestyle.. to say the least!

I wouldn't even go there. It makes the assumption that it is ok for kids to drink as long as they don't drive. I don't buy that.

Avoiding tobacco products, maintaining a health weight through diet and exercise, always using seatbelts, always using a bike helmet. That's the way to avoid some of the major killers of young adults and develp health habits that will sustain good health for decades to come.

 

[Dissected]

I wouldn't even go there. It makes the assumption that it is ok for kids to drink as long as they don't drive. I don't buy that.

Avoiding tobacco products, maintaining a health weight through diet and exercise, always using seatbelts, always using a bike helmet. That's the way to avoid some of the major killers of young adults and develp health habits that will sustain good health for decades to come.

you make a good point...but I think it kills too many teens to be something that is ignored by trying not to offend people or 'send the wrong message'. No harm in saying "if you make the choice to illegally consume alcohol, DONT DRIVE."

 

[LizzyM]

you make a good point...but I think it kills too many teens to be something that is ignored by trying not to offend people or 'send the wrong message'. No harm in saying "if you make the choice to illegally consume alcohol, DONT DRIVE."

That message should come from the parents or the school authorities. A guest speaker that hasn't been invited to speak on that specific topic should stay clear of that topic, I think.

And not driving after drinking can still be deadly if you lack good judgment and ride in a car driven by someone who is intoxicated.

 

[SB100]

I think my sister would be mortified if I were to talk about sex and STDs lol! Obesity sounds interesting but I myself have a little more to love, if you get what I mean though I am working on it.

I thought about maybe lecturing about how we should look at diseases not only in the biological framework, but also in social and political ones. Taking maybe a sample disease and show it's implications on not just the body, but on society and social policy too.

 

[135892]

I think my sister would be mortified if I were to talk about sex and STDs lol! Obesity sounds interesting but I myself have a little more to love, if you get what I mean though I am working on it.

I thought about maybe lecturing about how we should look at diseases not only in the biological framework, but also in social and political ones. Taking maybe a sample disease and show it's implications on not just the body, but on society and social policy too.

I vote sex and alcohol

 

[sleepy12]

I think my sister would be mortified if I were to talk about sex and STDs lol! Obesity sounds interesting but I myself have a little more to love, if you get what I mean though I am working on it.

I thought about maybe lecturing about how we should look at diseases not only in the biological framework, but also in social and political ones. Taking maybe a sample disease and show it's implications on not just the body, but on society and social policy too.

thats actually a pretty good idea. Its interesting, and you can be sure that they have probably never heard talk about that yet.

 

[SB100]

thats actually a pretty good idea. Its interesting, and you can be sure that they have probably never heard talk about that yet.

Yeah, I read a NYT article a couple years back about how obese people are to blame for global warming, due to the extra gallons of fuel needed to carry obese people in planes, trains, and automobiles

 

[LizzyM]

I think my sister would be mortified if I were to talk about sex and STDs lol! Obesity sounds interesting but I myself have a little more to love, if you get what I mean though I am working on it.

I thought about maybe lecturing about how we should look at diseases not only in the biological framework, but also in social and political ones. Taking maybe a sample disease and show it's implications on not just the body, but on society and social policy too.

Look at lung cancer, other illnesses and tobacco.... Before we had proof that lung cancer was associated with tobacco use, cigarettes were provided to our soldiers along with their food rations. Another thread on this forum has shown how physicians endorced a particular brand in print advertising back in the 1950s.

As the evidence has become stronger, the public perception of the acceptability of smoking in public has decreased. Smoking has been restricted in many places, taxes have been added to make cigarettes more expensive, laws passed to prohibit sales to minors, suits against the tobacco companies poured money into state treasuries to make up for the increased cost of providing services to smokers.

Smoking is associated not only with lung cancer but also with other cancers including cervical cancer (pause for the joke you won't tell in HS, "Do you smoke after sex?" "I don't know, I never looked.") as well as heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease (a major cause of amputation) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

 

[pinkblue]

This might be dumb, but i always try to emphasize to my little brother that what he does now will affect his life in the future. That might be obvious...

Then again, how many times do people post on SDN about horrible freshman year grades, academic dishonesty, or an arrest holding them back from being getting into med school despite a perfect record since then? Everything is "on your record" now-a-days and once you leave high school & turn 18 ...things are no longer "erased" from your record at teh start of every year. The choices they make now about drugs, their time management, their relationship partners will affect their opportunities for much longer than they realize.

 

[SB100]

This might be dumb, but i always try to emphasize to my little brother that what he does now will affect his life in the future. That might be obvious...

Then again, how many times do people post on SDN about horrible freshman year grades, academic dishonesty, or an arrest holding them back from being getting into med school despite a perfect record since then? Everything is "on your record" now-a-days and once you leave high school & turn 18 ...things are no longer "erased" from your record at teh start of every year. The choices they make now about drugs, their time management, their relationship partners will affect their opportunities for much longer than they realize.

Shock and awe...I like it!